Press Room

"In discussions with the administration, I’ve stressed that the coming budget needs to build toward a new normal, a new era, and new philosophy, building on the strength of what has worked and learning from the errors of what hasn’t. In many ways, what the mayor outlined today acknowledges that need.

"Fiscal responsibility must be paired with human responsibility – we cannot cut for the sake of cutting without consideration of the cost to New Yorkers. In this year’s budget, we need to invest in what the government can do, and has an obligation to do, to improve the lives and protect the futures of its people. I appreciate that across a range of issues, the administration recognizes the role that strengthening successful programs and launching new initiatives can play in the immediate and long term health of our city’s people and economy.

"New York’s budget is still bolstered by federal spending in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis – how those funds are allocated and managed is critical to our recovery. This funding should be used not only to respond to immediate needs, but to bolster and build new physical and programmatic infrastructure that will set a foundation for the future – as will the record reserves this budget allocates.  

"This emphasis on long-term investment is reflected in the need to invest heavily in climate resiliency and other infrastructural improvements, which I am glad to see well-represented in the mayor’s budget. We need to go further, working to prevent as well as prepare for the kind of climate emergencies which were once extraordinary but are increasingly more common. Construction and conversion must also be devoted to safe, sustainable, deeply affordable housing across the city, and the city must provide DOB and HPD with the funding necessary to protect tenants across the city from bad landlords and dangerous violations.

"Key among areas of investment is community-centered public safety solutions. While law enforcement has a role to play, it is critical that we expand the scope of and budget for non-police alternatives, whether for mental health crises, traffic enforcement, homelessness outreach, gun violence intervention, harm reduction services, or roles within the NYPD which can be civilianized. I will continue to guide our budget and our city toward a reimagining of public safety.

"It is essential that our budget prioritizes the needs of and services for children and families. I am proud that after many years of advocacy from myself and others, the Summer Youth Employment Program will be essentially universal under this budget. We fought for this goal for many years, and it’s very encouraging and vindicating to see it highlighted so early in this process and administration. It is important that we expand opportunities and strengthen support for young people in their homes, communities, and schools. Expanding the number of school counselors and the resources available for restorative justice in schools will have an impact not only on the education of our young people, but the safety and stability of our neighborhoods.

"As my own family is experiencing now, focus on and investments in maternal health, both before and after children are born, is invaluable. I am glad that the mayor shares and reflects this commitment in the budget, and it should be paired with dramatic expansion in childcare services and affordability that will support families and strengthen our economy. Training medical workers before high-risk emergency deliveries and expanding at-home family visits will save lives. I am excited that the budget will invest in these critical programs for mothers and young families. 

"Our city’s investments must center both economic and community health, development, and growth, and I believe that this year’s budget can meet these goals. The mayor’s preliminary budget is just that, a starting point – and this is a good place to start. Over the next months of the budget process I look forward to working with the administration and the City Council to ensure that our city’s budget sets the city on course with the necessary resources for recovery and renewal."

"Throughout my time in office, I've prioritized and pushed for the expansion of the Summer Youth Employment Program — opposing cuts from each of the last two mayors — because it is among the most critical investments we can make in our youth and our city. Each time we secured more spots, it meant more young people who could earn both a valuable paycheck and invaluable skills and experiences. Finally reaching 100,000 job opportunities will essentially constitute a universal summer youth employment program, with every young person who wants a job receiving one, and I’m so glad that the mayor and speaker have made this a priority so early in their terms and in the budget process. 

"The Summer Youth Employment Program is a critical investment in public safety and a foundational part of combating gun violence at its root and uplifting young people and their communities. Data shows that the number one way to cut violent crime arrests among young people is a job, and today’s commitment will have long term positive impact on the lives of the youth who apply and on their communities. 

"I hope to continue working with the mayor, speaker, and Council to expand youth employment opportunities, including through passing my Youth Employment Education legislation, and opening new paths for young people in our city to thrive."

"It should be clear after almost two years that not only will we not be returning to the old normal, we should not be trying to. Forcing people to return to the office in person five days a week, with no flexibility, shows no acknowledgement of what we’ve learned throughout the pandemic, nor the new normal that we should pursue. It is true that commuting across the city to a physical workplace has benefits for small businesses and our economy. At the same time, the option of remote work has been transformative for many working New Yorkers and their families.

"My office, which went fully remote amid the Omicron surge, will be returning to a hybrid model in two weeks. I encourage other government agencies on the city and state level to set an example of responsible workforce leadership by adopting hybrid models wherever possible. As COVID-19 cases thankfully drop across New York, the way forward is to forge a new normal, in line with the science and with the needs of New Yorkers, with an eye toward the future for both the risk of new surges and the potential for a new transformative economy that centers working people."

"I’m grateful that the president is prioritizing public safety and the gun violence epidemic. I was glad to have the opportunity to briefly share my perspective and plan for public safety with him, one built on over a decade of community engagement and moving from proposals, to pilots, to programs that have become an essential part of our city’s efforts and a model for the nation. It was encouraging to hear him discuss some of these issues in a way many of us have for years, often facing resistance.

"It sends an important signal for the president to use this visit to meet not only with law enforcement, but with community organizations doing the work on the ground of preventing violence and saving lives. Now, we must go beyond the signal, and move quickly to structuralize these strategies and fully integrate these programs and philosophy into the work of redefining public safety. Last year, the White House committed crucial, first-of-its-kind funding to community-centered violence prevention, and that commitment must continue and grow. Collaboration across city, state, and federal government is vital to address both prevention of violence on the streets and prevention of the trafficking that bring guns to communities.

"We know which strategies can work to keep communities safe, and which approaches helped to bring crime to historic lows prior to the pandemic in spite of resistance and fearmongering. As we face a real, tragic increase in violence now, it is essential that we learn the lessons of the past and advance a model of public safety where everyone has a role to play in violence prevention and we work to address its root causes in communities. With executives on the city, state, and federal level appearing to value and validate this approach, I am hopeful that we can all move forward together in protecting, promoting, and producing true public safety."

New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams today announced activist, strategist, organizer and CEO Ifeoma Ike, Esq. as his nominee to the New York City Conflicts of Interest Board (COIB). Ike, if confirmed, would be the first appointee by a Public Advocate following the 2019 Charter revision restructuring the body.

“New Yorkers made it clear in 2019 that independent oversight and accountability should be top priorities in government, and as the ombudsman of the City I’m honored to nominate Ifeoma Ike as the first ever COIB appointee by a Public Advocate,” said Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams in announcing the nomination. “Her experiences both in government and in communities across our city, her passion and expertise in fighting for justice, make her well-suited for this role. I know that she will bring a new voice and perspective to the Board in pursuit of radical transparency, holding city government accountable to the people it serves and the legal and ethical obligations we all have as public servants.”

“I’m humbled to be considered to serve on the Conflicts of Interest Board,” said Ifeoma Ike, Esq. “This important board seeks to ensure integrity across our agencies and departments exists, and that the public has trust in the governance which they support with their tax dollars and livelihoods. I look forward to the next steps of this process and to once again serving our great City.”

Ifeoma Ike is an equity strategist, lawyer and CEO of Pink Cornrows, a social impact consultancy firm. With a full career committed to service, her professional resume includes serving under the de Blasio administration as the Deputy Executive Director for NYC’s Young Men’s Initiative, as a Senior Policy Advocate with the Innocence Project and Counsel on the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, as a Congressional Black Caucus Foundation counsel Fellow and as a member of Obama for America’s voting rights counsel. Ike has also been an adjunct at Lehman College in both the Political Science and Africana Studies Departments. She has led efforts in civic engagement, international human rights, and justice reform, as well as launched spaces to prioritize the needs of systematically marginalized people, including two congressional caucuses to center policies impacting the quality of life for Black lives.

Ike earned her B.A. and M.A. in applied communication theory and research from West Virginia University, J.D. from CUNY School of Law, and LL.M. with highest honors from The George Washington University School of Law.

​​The Conflicts of Interest Board is an independent city agency tasked with administering, enforcing and interpreting the City's Conflicts of Interest Law and the City's Annual Disclosure Law. Under its previous construction, the Board consisted of five mayoral appointees– but after voters approved a charter revision in 2019, one appointment each was given to the public advocate and the comptroller for the upcoming term.

New appointees, once confirmed by the New York City Council, will begin their term on April 1, 2022.

"Friday’s tragedy has taken another life today with the passing of Officer Wilbert Mora. I pray for his family as the city stands with them in mourning, in opposition to this gun violence, and in commitment to ending it.

"In this moment of tragedy, I want to extend gratitude in grief to Officers Rivera and Mora for their service and bravery. They responded to an urgent call for help from a fellow New Yorker, and I know that when the next call comes, NYPD officers will face great risk to answer it - we cannot forget that.

"When gun violence strikes, the pain and trauma resonate around and remain with a neighborhood, a community. Like law enforcement officers, the community has a role in preventing gun violence, and like the communities they serve, law enforcement feels the tragic impact of that violence.

"As elected officials, we have a moral obligation to do all we can to combat this violence in all its forms and save lives. As New Yorkers, we have a moral obligation to support one another in hardship and loss, and to unite in the shared goal of protecting, promoting, and producing public safety."